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Market Basket Looks to Locate at Northgate

Grocery shopping in Revere will never be the same as numerous sources have confirmed that a Demoulas Market Basket will locate and build a new store at the Northgate Mall within one year.

“Market Basket is one entity that has expressed interest in going there and it’s looking really positive for them going in,” said Revere Economic Director John Festa on Monday.

Last week, multiple Building Department officials confirmed that Market Basket submitted plans to build an 80,000 sq. ft. store on the site where the former Toys R’Us store once sat – a building that has been demolished due to a structural collapse. They will apparently build a new building on the site, and are prepared to take out a foundation permit from the City any day. One source indicated that the overall plans are currently being reviewed by the Building Department, and permits will be taken out following that preliminary review.

The store would be about one-third the size of the gargantuan store just a short ride away in Chelsea – a store which opened a little more than two years ago and draws many Revere shoppers.

There was no word concerning what amenities would be offered in the Revere store, or when it would be completed – though one official said it could be as soon as this spring.

There was also a good deal of uncertainty surrounding what might become of the brand new Price Rite store that recently opened and would potentially sit right next to the proposed Market Basket.

Market Basket has been aggressively expanding over the last year, opening large, new stores in Brockton and on Cape Cod – among other places.

A spokesperson from Market Basket did not immediately respond to Journal inquiries.

For the City though, a Market Basket is just one piece of a larger puzzle at Northgate – which officials believe is tremendously underachieving at the moment.

“We’re really looking for higher-end merchants there,” said Festa. “We feel it’s underutilized and the potential is much greater than what is there. We’d like to go into Northgate and see a Cheesecake Factory or something like the Market Basket – a higher quality. We believe in two to three years you’ll see a transformation…We want to change the whole dynamic of Revere.”

As a precursor at Northgate, Festa said the City has approached Northgate owners, Allan & Associates, about creating a zoning overlay district for the mall.

Festa said Northgate isn’t the only hot spot in Revere at the moment. Other places include:

•Wonderland Dog Track – Festa said that the Kraft Family, which owns the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution soccer team, has been in contact with the City about doing something at Wonderland.

“We have talked with the owners about coming back with a Master Plan for the property,” said Festa. “There is interest from the Kraft Family as well. I’ve had meetings and discussions with the Kraft Family. This could be a major source of revenue for Revere in the future, but it has to be done right and has to be unique.”

•Landmark Buildings – Festa indicated that Mayor Dan Rizzo has set a standard for any developer looking to do business in Revere, and he’s calling that standard Landmark Buildings. In short, he wants developments of any type to be unique and innovative – nothing cookie cutter – and he’s challenging designers to do their best work in Revere.

•Shaw’s on the Parkway – There is major interest in the old grocery store site, and the owners – the Cerratani Family – are nearly ready to move on a major development. Festa indicated that exciting, definitive news on that site could be coming in a matter of months. It has been rumored that a hotel chain is interested in locating there.

•The former Ocean Club on Revere Beach has been downsized and is now before city planners again. Tambone Investments has proposed a 143-unit building on the property in a five-story building. The developers were part of the Atlantica development on the Beach a few years back.

•Pier on the Beach – the Rizzo Administration continues to pursue the idea of locating a pier on Revere Beach with shops, services and a potential ferry service to the Harbor Islands and Boston. Festa said he has been told it will be difficult, but they are serious about overcoming any obstacles.

“We’re looking at locations now and have contacted the Seaport Advisory Committee about this idea,” he said. “I’ve been told there are a lot of hurdles to overcome, but I understand that and to my way of thinking, that means we should get started now. If it’s going to take a long time, then let’s get it going now.”

Italod

Northgate is not a mall, never was. It is a shopping center, and has remained 1960s-70s shopping center-style for far too long now. We see them doing demolition work or something on the backside of the stores there. Are they looking to expand Northgate with stores back there, too, facing northward towards Saugus? Then the site could become a genuine mall setup. It would be great to see them clean it up, and have a fine periphery road with adjacent parking areas all around the current location.

As for Market Basket being located adjacent to a remaining-open Price Rite, that just seems to make no sense and, so, is so typically “Revere.” I would hope that MB would be able to take over PR’s space and be built as a larger store, or use PR’s space for parking or related amenities. Cheesecake Factory would be nice, yes–ANYTHING but more nail shops, Walgreens, Walmarts, or Dollar stores—please?! ;j

Lu13

That would be wonderful. Better still, get rid of Price Rite and build one just like Chelsea. The old Shaws supermarket would be great too. It would give Winthrop/East Boston residents a great place to go instead of the outrageous Stop n Shop.

http://www.facebook.com/ronda.ford1 Ronda Ford-cordero

market basket is a wonderful addition to revere can anyone tell me why revere has 2 stop and shops and a super stop and shop price rite should get moved to the old johnie foodmasters and then northgate area should be turned into market basket

TC

Actually, coming from Ohio, it’s not unusual to have two grocery chains in the same shopping center – it was common in the midwest to have Northgate-like shopping centers with both a Kroger and a Big Bear in them – although granted they were never next door to each other..
I also wish Northgate would be more forthcoming about potential clients. They redid the parking lot last year, and much of it remains cordoned off waiting for apparently non-existant clients to build restaurants or other stores. It would be nice if they would be more forthcoming about possible new businesses. That area of Revere could really use a few new stores that aren’t clothing or tanning related. And a new family restaurant as well since Friendly’s closed a few months ago…